Emperor Yongchang’s arrangement at the palace banquet was naturally to build momentum for the Crown Prince’s recovery after the new year. After all, the Crown Prince had been sitting in a wheelchair for over three years. Without any warning, if one day he simply walked gracefully to the morning court session, what would the ministers think? When things are abnormal, there must be something sinister afoot?
By simply performing this little play tonight, he could both allow the civil and military officials to prepare in advance and publicize the Crown Prince’s supreme filial piety, spreading a fine tale of paternal kindness and filial devotion throughout the common people. Never mind how much the ministers believed—the common people, who had barely read any books, would easily believe and enjoy spreading such beautiful news. Then the Crown Prince of the Great Qi Dynasty would surely be a heaven-chosen heir apparent, which was why he could recover completely after three years of disability.
To perform a play, one must perform it completely. After the Crown Prince sat down in his wheelchair, Emperor Yongchang stopped his sword dance and excitedly summoned the imperial physicians to take the Crown Prince’s pulse and examine his legs.
Two of the most senior old imperial physicians came. The old physicians had not known about this in advance! At this moment, they were both massaging the Crown Prince’s legs and watching him lift his legs and walk, as if witnessing a miracle in medical history. Each was more shocked than the other. They first conservatively said the Crown Prince had the possibility of recovery, then also attributed the Crown Prince’s turnaround to his great filial piety.
For such joyous news, Emperor Yongchang naturally had to send someone to inform Empress Zhou and the Crown Princess in the central palace.
The eunuch from Qianyuan Hall came to announce the good news, standing in the center of the rear palace’s great hall. In front of all the wives of officials great and small filling the hall, he recounted like a storyteller the complete story of how the Crown Prince had stood up.
Yao Huang: “…”
She never imagined that one day she would listen to a storytelling performance that would feature her own husband and father-in-law!
Noticing that everyone was looking at her, Yao Huang quickly adjusted her emotions, her voice trembling slightly as she asked, “Is this, is this truly real?”
The messenger eunuch smiled. “Absolutely true. This servant saw it with his own eyes. The imperial physicians have also diagnosed the Crown Prince. They say the Crown Prince has an eighty percent chance of complete recovery!”
Yao Huang then happily knelt beside Empress Zhou, leaning against Empress Zhou’s legs and “weeping tears of joy.”
Empress Zhou took a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her eyes, her eyes reddening as she repeatedly said how wonderful it was. The Grand Princess, Princess Kang Chen Ying, and the newly ennobled this year Lady Chengfu Luo Jinhua were genuinely happy for their second brother or for Yao Huang, and tears of joy fell from their eyes one after another.
Only Zheng Yuanzhen kept her head lowered, as if someone had once again extracted her soul.
Her second cousin, whose crippled legs she had disdained, had been made Crown Prince even while sitting in a wheelchair. Now, his legs were going to recover as well.
She and her mother had schemed and plotted several times in succession, only to turn the mother and daughter into laughingstocks in the eyes of all the subjects throughout the capital.
On the sixth day of the first month, officials began their duties for the new year. At this court session, Emperor Yongchang specially granted the Crown Prince a “recovery leave,” allowing the Crown Prince to temporarily move back to his old residence at Prince Hui’s mansion to rest until his legs fully recovered. During this period, if there were matters at the gunpowder workshop requiring the Crown Prince’s handling, the Crown Prince could review documents or summon officials from the gunpowder workshop at the princely mansion.
In those months before the new year, the Crown Prince’s leg muscles and bones lacked sufficient strength and could not undergo intensive training, so the Crown Prince working at the Ministry of Works would not delay his leg practice. Now that the Crown Prince’s leg muscles and bones had sufficient strength, what needed to be practiced were major movements like walking, climbing stairs up and down, and even running and jumping. In Emperor Yongchang’s view, of course the Crown Prince’s legs were more important—it did not matter if his duties slowed down.
The two gardens at the Eastern Palace were too small. The Imperial Garden was large enough, but all the consorts in the palace liked to visit the Imperial Garden. With many people and many eyes, forbidding the consorts from setting foot in the Imperial Garden solely to accommodate the Crown Prince would certainly weigh on the Crown Prince’s heart.
After thinking it over, Emperor Yongchang felt his son’s old princely residence was very suitable. Once spring arrived and the weather improved, whenever the Crown Prince wanted to practice his legs by riding horses, he could practice at any time without needing to request permission from him.
After Emperor Yongchang issued the decree, he had the Ministry of Works dispatch a group of craftsmen to the Crown Prince’s old residence. Together with the craftsmen the Prince had originally employed at his mansion, they rebuilt all the thresholds throughout Prince Hui’s mansion as well as the original stairs. All kinds of timber and stone materials were readily available. The craftsmen worked enthusiastically for two days and had everything repaired. After airing it out for another two days, on the tenth day of the first month, the Crown Prince’s family could leave the palace.
Emperor Yongchang, who happened to have a day of rest, personally escorted the Crown Prince’s family out through the Western Luminous Gate.
Zhao Sui wanted to stand up from his wheelchair to bid farewell to Father Emperor, but Emperor Yongchang had barely glimpsed his movement before pressing him back down, laughing, “What use is standing for this short moment? Practice well over there. When you’ve completely recovered, come back to the palace—We want to see you moving freely.”
He felt heartbroken that Second Son’s legs had been ruined. When determining the heir apparent, he did not care that Second Son’s legs were ruined, but Emperor Yongchang had actually always missed that Second Son with his upright bearing—missed having his Second Son, who was like flawless beautiful jade, return to his presence sooner.
The Crown Prince, who could not raise his eyes to look directly at Father Emperor at the New Year’s Eve palace banquet, still kept his eyes lowered at this moment.
However, that night the Crown Prince’s face had been flushed, whereas now the Crown Prince’s eyes were rimmed with red.
Emperor Yongchang was very gratified. At least in Second Son’s heart at this moment, he should still count as a loving Father Emperor, right?
After hugging his little imperial grandson again, Emperor Yongchang looked toward his daughter-in-law. “Take good care of the Crown Prince. When rest days come and the Crown Prince continues practicing his legs, don’t forget to bring Jun’er into the palace to pay respects to Us.”
Yao Huang smiled. “Since Father Emperor is so reluctant to part with Jun’er, why not just keep Jun’er in the palace? Father Emperor and Mother Empress can take more trouble to help us look after him. It would also let Jun’er fulfill more filial duties on behalf of His Highness and myself before Father Emperor and Mother Empress.”
Emperor Yongchang then pretended to carry Jun’er toward the palace.
Yao Huang also pretended to push the Crown Prince’s wheelchair toward the carriage.
Jun’er was still laughing at first, but laughing and laughing, he discovered that Father Prince and Mother Consort were about to leave, and immediately became anxious.
Although he very much liked his little imperial grandson, Emperor Yongchang fundamentally did not have much leisure time or patience to coax children. He walked back beside the carriage and personally handed Jun’er to his daughter-in-law, who had already boarded the carriage.
After bidding farewell once more, the carriage departed.
Emperor Yongchang was a dignified emperor—how could he stand before the palace gate foolishly seeing off his son? He clasped his hands behind his back, turned around, and was about to walk back.
Suddenly, a familiar crying sound came from ahead. Emperor Yongchang’s heart skipped a beat. He turned his head and saw Jun’er lying at the carriage window, craning his neck looking for Imperial Grandfather. His daughter-in-law was supporting the little fellow from behind, revealing half her face.
Emperor Yongchang watched anxiously. “Quickly sit inside!” Don’t let his Jun’er fall!
Yao Huang replied, “Your daughter-in-law obeys the decree!”
After making Jun’er’s little hand wave toward Emperor Yongchang, Yao Huang steeled her heart and pulled Jun’er away from the window, placing him directly on the Crown Prince’s legs, which were not that afraid of being pressed on.
Zhao Sui then handed Jun’er the jade pendant he had prepared in advance.
Having received the jade pendant, though Jun’er’s eyes still held two pools of tears, his little mouth smiled.
Before the palace gate, Emperor Yongchang’s heart was also quite pleased. He had not doted on this grandson in vain!
The carriage soon arrived at the old Prince Hui residence. Before the carriage had stopped steadily, Yao Huang lifted the curtain and discovered that the plaque hanging high above the mansion’s main gate had changed to a brand new “Crown Prince’s Mansion,” and below the plaque there were now several more layers of stairs and a red lacquered threshold.
Yao Huang made way for some space, allowing the Crown Prince in the wheelchair in the middle to see outside. She teased, “Father Emperor truly did have Your Highness return to practice his legs. He didn’t miss the opportunity to exercise Your Highness even here at the main gate.”
Zhao Sui looked out the window and saw the scene from when he first moved into Prince Hui’s mansion at eighteen years old.
Yao Huang first handed Jun’er to the wet nurse, then coordinated with Qing Ai to push the Crown Prince off the carriage. If all went well, today should also be the last time the Crown Prince would ride in a carriage sitting in a wheelchair.
The wet nurse placed Jun’er in the stroller and secured the straps. Just as Yao Huang took over the stroller, the Crown Prince had already left his wheelchair.
Since the Crown Prince dared to stand, Yao Huang trusted he could walk this distance well. However, though the Crown Prince could walk, Jun’er’s stroller encountered trouble when it reached the stairs.
Qing Ai and Fei Quan smiled as they lifted the young prince’s stroller through the mansion’s first gate.
Yao Huang walked to the Crown Prince’s side. Eyes facing forward, her hand secretly grasped the Crown Prince’s hand.
The Crown Prince’s footsteps paused slightly. Just as Yao Huang worried whether this man was going to be reserved and proper again, the Crown Prince freed himself from her hand and grasped it back in return.